JPH11201769A - Communication type route guiding system and communication method used for it - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication type route guiding system capable of suppressing the cost required for communication low when an information service center and each mobile terminal are communicated for route guidance. SOLUTION: Multiple access points 102 are installed at different positions to allow each mobile terminal 300 to gain access to an information service center 101, and each mobile terminal 300 communicates with the information service center 101 through one of multiple access points 102. Each mobile terminal 300 stores installation positions of multiple access points 102. Each mobile terminal 300 has a function for calculating its present position and based on the stored position and the calculated position the terminal 300 can access to the information service center 101 through the nearest one of multiple access point 102, i.e., the access point 102 requiring the lowest telephone call fee.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a route guidance system, and more particularly, to a server device and at least one mobile terminal device that is arbitrarily moved, and the server device communicates with each mobile terminal device. The present invention relates to a communication-type route guidance system that provides route guidance by performing a route guidance and a communication method used therein.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, vehicles employing a navigation system have been increasing. The information provided by the navigation system is also expanding from map information to information including, for example, traffic information, route guidance information, etc. (map-related information), and as convenience increases,
It is expected to spread rapidly in the future. In a conventional in-vehicle navigation system, a provider records map data and its related information in a read-only recording medium such as a CD-ROM in advance and provides the map data and its related information to a user. It is common to read out from a recording medium and use it as needed.

[0003] However, in the conventional system for providing information via a read-only recording medium as described above,
For example, it has been difficult to provide real-time information such as traffic information and weather information. Therefore, an in-vehicle navigation system that can provide information with high real-time properties has been devised. For example, JP-A-7-
Japanese Patent Publication No. 262493 discloses a technical content relating to an apparatus for downloading map data and related information from an information providing center to an in-vehicle terminal via a communication line.

[0004]

However, in the conventional communication-type navigation systems described in the above publications, the cost required for communication between the vehicle-mounted terminal and the information providing center is not sufficiently considered. Was.
That is, in a communication type navigation system, generally,
Access points for accessing the information provision center from in-vehicle terminals are provided in various places.
One of the plurality of access points is selected, and the information providing center is accessed through the selected one. At this time,
Communication between the in-vehicle terminal and each access point is performed via a public line. In the conventional communication type navigation system, since the selection of the access point is left to the user, it is not always connected to the nearest access point via a line, and there are many cases where unnecessary communication costs are incurred.

[0005] Further, in the conventional communication type navigation system, no consideration has been given to efficiently utilizing a plurality of access points to provide information efficiently.
That is, since the selection of an access point is left to the user, access requests from a plurality of in-vehicle terminals may concentrate on a specific access point at the same time, and in such a case, the efficiency of the system is significantly reduced. I was

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a communication type route guidance system capable of suppressing the cost of communication when performing route guidance by communication between an information providing center and each mobile terminal, and used in the communication type route guidance system. To provide a communication method.

Another object of the present invention is to further prevent the above system and method from deteriorating the efficiency of the system in which access requests from a plurality of mobile terminals are concentrated on a specific access point at the same time. is there.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention, a server device and one or more mobile terminal devices which are arbitrarily moved are provided, and the server device communicates with each mobile terminal device. A communication type route guidance system for performing route guidance, wherein a plurality of access points for each mobile terminal device accessing a server device are installed at different positions from each other, and each mobile terminal device is provided with one of the plurality of access points. The mobile terminal device is configured to communicate with the server device through a plurality of access points, a position storage unit that stores installation positions of the plurality of access points, a position calculation unit that calculates a current position of the mobile terminal device, and a storage unit. Based on the storage contents of the means and the calculation result of the position calculating means,
An access point selecting means for selecting an access point having a positional relationship closest to the mobile terminal device among the plurality of access points, and a communication means for communicating with the server device through the access point selected by the access point selecting means. ing.

[0009] As described above, in the first aspect, each mobile terminal device is connected to the nearest one of a plurality of access points.
Therefore, since the communication with the server device is performed through the access point where the call fee is the lowest, the cost required for the communication for performing the route guidance can be reduced.

In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the access point selecting means of each mobile terminal device calculates a linear distance between the current position of the mobile terminal device and the installation positions of the plurality of access points. Includes means.

As described above, in the second invention, each straight-line distance between the current position of the mobile terminal device and the installation positions of the plurality of access points is obtained by calculation, and by comparing them with each other, It is possible to select an access point in a positional relationship closest to the mobile terminal device.

[0012] In a third aspect based on the first aspect, each mobile terminal device examines the communication state of the communication means and determines whether or not communication can be performed through the access point selected by the access point selection means. The determination means, and when the determination result of the determination means is negative, the access point selection means provides the access point having the closest positional relationship to the mobile terminal device among the plurality of access points except the currently selected one. Is further provided.

[0013] As described above, in the third aspect, since each mobile terminal device attempts access sequentially from the access point closest to the current position, access requests from a plurality of mobile terminal devices receive a specific access request at the same time. It is possible to prevent a decrease in the efficiency of the system that occurs concentrated on the points.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication type route guidance system in which a server device and one or more mobile terminal devices which are arbitrarily moved are provided, and route guidance is performed by communication between the server device and each mobile terminal device. A plurality of access points for each mobile terminal device to access the server device are installed at different positions, and each mobile terminal device is configured to communicate with the server device through any of the plurality of access points. And each mobile terminal device
Determined in a one-to-one correspondence with multiple access points,
When the mobile terminal device is located inside the region, an area storage means for storing a plurality of regions in which an access point corresponding to the region has a closest positional relationship with the mobile terminal device; A position calculating means for calculating the current position of the device; and determining which of the plurality of areas stored in the area storing means the calculation result of the position calculating means includes, so as to determine a plurality of access points. Among them, there are provided an access point selecting means for selecting an access point which is located closest to the mobile terminal device, and a communication means for communicating with the server device through the access point selected by the access point selecting means.

[0015] As described above, in the fourth aspect, each mobile terminal device is connected to a nearest one of a plurality of access points.
Therefore, since the communication with the server device is performed through the access point where the call fee is the lowest, the cost required for the communication for performing the route guidance can be reduced. In addition, since the access point having the closest positional relationship to the mobile terminal device is selected by determining which of the plurality of areas the current position of the mobile terminal device is included in, the current position of the mobile terminal device is determined. The processing operation on the mobile terminal device side is reduced as compared with the case where each linear distance between the position and the installation position of the plurality of access points is calculated and compared with each other to make a selection.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication type route guidance system in which a server device and one or more mobile terminal devices arbitrarily moved are provided, and the server device communicates with each mobile terminal device to provide route guidance. A communication method used in each mobile terminal device, wherein a plurality of access points for each mobile terminal device accessing a server device are installed at different positions from each other, and each mobile terminal device is provided with one of the plurality of access points. A first step of storing installation positions of a plurality of access points, a second step of calculating a current position of each mobile terminal device, and a first step. Based on the stored position and the position calculated in the second step, among the plurality of access points, the one that is closest to each mobile terminal device. A third step of selecting an access point in the positional relationship, and a fourth step of communicating with the server through the access point selected in the third step.

[0017] As described above, in the fifth aspect, each mobile terminal device is connected to the nearest one of a plurality of access points.
Therefore, since the communication with the server device is performed through the access point where the call fee is the lowest, the cost required for the communication for performing the route guidance can be reduced.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication type route guidance system in which a server device and one or more mobile terminal devices arbitrarily moved are provided, and the server device communicates with each mobile terminal device to provide route guidance. A recording medium recording a program executed in each mobile terminal device, wherein a plurality of access points for each mobile terminal device to access a server device are installed at different positions, and each mobile terminal device A first step of storing the installation positions of the plurality of access points, a second step of calculating the current position of each mobile terminal device, and Based on the position stored in the first step and the position calculated in the second step, each of the plurality of access points A third step of selecting an access point in a positional relationship closest to the end device, the third
A fourth step of communicating with the server device through the access point selected in the step of
A program for realizing on each mobile terminal device is recorded.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication type route guidance system in which a server device and at least one mobile terminal device arbitrarily moved are provided, and route guidance is performed by communication between the server device and each mobile terminal device. A method of supplying a program executed in each mobile terminal device from a server device to each terminal device by communication, wherein a plurality of access points for each mobile terminal device to access the server device are installed at different positions from each other. , Each mobile terminal device is configured to communicate with the server device through any of the plurality of access points, a first step of storing installation positions of the plurality of access points, and a current position of each mobile terminal device. Based on the position stored in the first step and the position calculated in the second step, A third step of selecting an access point having a positional relationship closest to each mobile terminal device among the number of access points, and a fourth step of communicating with the server device through the access point selected in the third step. A program for realizing an operating environment including on each mobile terminal device is supplied from the server device to each terminal device by communication.

[0020]

(First Embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The communication type route guidance system described in the present embodiment has an information providing center that holds various databases such as map data, traffic information, weather information, and store information, and collects and updates the contents of these databases; At least one mobile terminal (hereinafter described as an on-board terminal used in a vehicle) that receives a service of providing information by communication from the center is provided. The system is further provided with an access point for each service area, and the information providing center and each access point are connected via a dedicated line. Hereinafter, the information providing center and the plurality of access points are collectively called a server. The communication-type route guidance system of the present embodiment searches map data, traffic information, weather information, store information, and the like requested by the mobile terminal on the server side, and moves the information from the server side via the communication line. It is downloaded to the terminal side. Hereinafter, the details will be described.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a communication type route guidance system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, a communication type route guidance system includes a server 10
0, including a public network 200 and one or more mobile terminals 300. The server 100 includes an information providing center 101 and a plurality of access points 102, and the information providing center 101 and the plurality of access points 102 are connected via a dedicated line 103. The public line network 200 includes a fixed network 201 and a mobile network 202. Mobile network 20
A plurality of exchanges 203 are provided on the second side, and a plurality of base stations 204 are provided in association with each exchange 203.

Each base station 204 is a facility for receiving and transmitting radio waves covering an area 205 having a radius of about 3 km. The exchange 203 controls each base station 204 to connect to a fixed network 201 (fixed telephone network). Equipment. Generally, each exchange 20
Numeral 3 is distributed among the large cities and controls a plurality of areas 205 including the respective cities. The information providing center 101 collects information such as map data, traffic information, weather information, store information, and the like through an external organization or independently, centrally manages the information, and provides the information to each mobile terminal 300. This information providing center 101 and a plurality of access points 10
2 are connected by a dedicated line 103 and the mobile terminal 30
0 accesses the information providing center 101 through any of the access points 102 and receives various information providing services.

At this time, communication between the mobile terminal 300 and each access point 102 is performed through the public line network 200, so that a call charge is imposed. In order to reduce the communication cost between the mobile terminal 300 and the access point 102, each mobile terminal 300 selects the nearest access point 102 that has a low call charge,
From there, it is necessary to access the information providing center 101. In the system of FIG. 1, each mobile terminal 300 has a function of calculating its own current position, and automatically selects the nearest access point 102 using the function. Thereby, the mobile terminal 300 and the access point 1
02 is minimized.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of mobile terminal 300 in FIG. In FIG. 2, the mobile terminal
An input unit 1, an information storage unit 2, a position calculation unit 3, a communication unit 4,
An arithmetic processing unit 5 and an output unit 6 are provided. Input unit 1
Is for inputting a driver's operation to the mobile terminal 300, and is realized by a main body operation panel having a plurality of key switches, a remote controller having the same function, or the like. The driver performs an operation input to the mobile terminal 300 through the input unit 1 such as scrolling a map or changing a scale.

The information storage unit 2 is for storing map data and related information, and is realized by a rewritable storage medium such as a flash memory or a hard disk. The information storage unit 2 includes a map information storage unit 7 and an AP information storage unit 8. Map information storage unit 7
Describes map data that describes road network information and route guidance information, traffic data that describes traffic congestion and regulation situations, weather data that describes weather forecasts and rainfall conditions, and information about restaurants and shops. Stores map-related data, such as the store data. The contents (various databases) of the map information storage unit 7 are stored in advance, or are stored in a communication line (public line network 200).
Is updated online from the server 100 via.

On the other hand, the AP information storage unit 8 stores the mobile terminal 30
For storing a plurality of access points 102 for accessing information providing center 101 which provides information such as map data and traffic data for 0, such as longitude and latitude coordinates and telephone numbers. It is. When accessing the information providing center 101 from the mobile terminal 300, the communication cost between the mobile terminal 300 and the access point 102 among the plurality of access points 102 stored in the AP information storage unit 8 is minimized. And connect it.

The position calculating section 3 calculates the current position of the mobile terminal 300, and includes a position detecting section 9 and a position calculating section 10. The position detecting unit 9 is realized by a vehicle speed sensor, a gyro sensor, a GPS antenna, or the like, and the position calculating unit 10 is realized by a microprocessor, a memory, or the like. The position calculator 3 configured as described above detects a vehicle speed by a vehicle speed sensor and calculates a traveling distance of the vehicle based on the detected vehicle speed, detects a traveling direction of the vehicle by a gyro sensor, The mobile terminal 30 can be obtained by correlating the data with the road shape on the map, receiving radio waves from GPS satellites to detect the absolute position on the earth, or by combining them.
Find the current position of 0.

The communication unit 4 communicates with each base station 2 by wireless communication.
The mobile phone 300 transmits and receives data to and from the mobile terminal 300, and includes, for example, a mobile phone and a data communication modem for converting data between the mobile phone and the mobile terminal 300. Map data, traffic data, weather data, store data, etc. downloaded from the server 100 and received by the communication unit 4 are:
It is stored in the map information storage unit 7.

The arithmetic processing unit 5 controls the entire mobile terminal 300, and is realized by a microprocessor for performing arithmetic processing, a memory serving as a work area, and the like. The arithmetic processing unit 5 includes a position calculating unit 10, a map information reading unit 11, a nearest AP detecting unit 12, and a telephone number setting unit 13. The position calculation unit 10 also serves as a component of the position calculation unit 3 as described above, and the mobile terminal 30
The current position of 0 is obtained by arithmetic processing. The map information reading unit 11 reads map data and related information stored in the map information storage unit 7. Note that the read data is processed in the arithmetic processing unit 5, and then output to the output unit 6, the map information storage unit 7, the communication unit 4, and the like.

The nearest AP detection unit 12 calculates the mobile terminal calculated by the location calculation unit 10 from the plurality of access points 102 based on the location information of each access point 102 stored in the AP information storage unit 8. 300
Is selected closest to the current location of the mobile terminal 300, and hence the one with the lowest call charge (or the one with the lowest call charge from the mobile terminal 300 to the access point 102 may be directly selected. In that case, It is necessary to further store information indicating the call charge system of the public network 200 in the AP information storage unit 8). The telephone number setting unit 13 obtains the telephone number of the selected access point 102 from the AP information storage unit 8 and sets the number to be called, whereby the mobile terminal 300 and the server 10 are set.
0 is connected to the line through the selected access point 102.

The output section 6 is for presenting the map and its related information stored in the map information storage section 7 or the result of processing the information to the driver in video and / or audio. Yes, for example, with a display and a speaker.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of a server device provided on the server 100 side in FIG. FIG.
, The server device includes an input unit 15, a map information storage unit 16, a communication unit 17, an arithmetic processing unit 18, and an output unit 19. Note that the communication unit 17 and the plurality of access points 102 shown in FIG. 1 are connected via a dedicated line. The input unit 15 is for inputting from an operator who operates the server device of FIG. 3 and other external information to the server device main body, and is realized by, for example, a keyboard or a mouse.

The map information storage section 16 stores map data and its related data, and is realized by a large-capacity rewritable storage medium such as a hard disk. The map information storage unit 16 stores map data describing road network information, route search information, and the like, traffic data describing road congestion and regulation, weather data describing weather forecasts and rainfall conditions, restaurants, It stores map-related data such as store data describing information of various shops. These various data are provided to the mobile terminal 300 via a communication line (public line 200). The various data stored in the map information storage unit 16 are appropriately updated according to the contents of the information.

The communication unit 17 is for transmitting and receiving data to and from the mobile terminal 300 through each access point 102 in FIG. 1, and performs, for example, telephone conversion and data conversion between the telephone and the server 100. Is realized by a data communication modem. That is, the server device in FIG. 3 receives the request from the mobile terminal 300 through the communication unit 17 and sends back information corresponding to the request to the mobile terminal 300 through the communication unit 17 again.

The arithmetic processing unit 18 performs a route search in response to a download request (described later) from the mobile terminal 300 and controls the entire server device, and includes a microprocessor for performing arithmetic processing and a work. This is realized by a memory or the like serving as an area. The arithmetic processing unit 18 includes a map information reading unit 20 and a transmission / reception information processing unit 21. The map information reading section 20 reads the corresponding information from the map information storage section 16 in response to an operation input by an operator or in response to a request from the mobile terminal 300 obtained by processing in the transmission / reception information processing section 21. The transmission / reception information processing unit 21 processes the uplink signal received by the communication unit 17 to obtain a request from the terminal, and further processes the information read by the map information reading unit 20 in response to the request, thereby processing the transmission data format. Processing such as conversion into information is performed.

The output unit 19 sends the map and its related information stored in the map information storage unit 16 and the processing results obtained by processing them to the operator of the server device shown in FIG. This is for presenting a video and / or audio to the user, and is realized by, for example, a display and a speaker.

The operation of the communication type route guidance system configured as described above will be described below. Each of the following processes can be realized as software using a computer, or can be realized using a dedicated hardware circuit that performs each process. In the case of software implementation, the program is a CD-ROM
Provided on a portable recording medium such as a hard disk or a floppy disk, or a communication line (public line network 200).
Is supplied from the server 100 side to the mobile terminal 300 side via the.

First, the processing procedure on the mobile terminal 300 side of the communication type route guidance system will be described in detail. Mobile terminal 300
Then, when the driver turns on the power, first, the position calculator 3 calculates the coordinates of the current position where the mobile terminal 300 is located. Next, the map information reading unit 11 reads map data around the current position of the mobile terminal 300 from the map information storage unit 7 based on the coordinates calculated by the position calculation unit 3. The read map data is provided to the output unit 19, and is displayed on a display with the coordinates calculated by the position calculation unit 3 as a display center.

At this time, the output unit 19 is connected to the mobile terminal 30.
If the mark indicating the current position of 0 is superimposed and displayed on the map data, the current position of the vehicle can be presented to the driver in an easily understandable manner.

When the drawing update is performed so that the new coordinates are displayed at the center of the screen every time the coordinates of the current position of the mobile terminal 300 change with the movement of the vehicle, a map around the current position of the vehicle can be obtained. It can always be shown on the display. In this case, when the display range of the map exceeds the range of the map data previously read by the map information reading unit 11 due to the movement of the vehicle, the map information reading unit 1
1 reads from the map information storage unit 7 map data centered on the new coordinates calculated by the position calculation unit 3.

Further, the driver may operate the remote controller (up / down / left / right movement keys) of the input unit 1 so as to move the display center position of the map in conjunction therewith. Thereby, the driver can scroll the display range of the map to an arbitrary point. Further, the user may operate the remote controller (scale change key) to change the scale of the map data currently displayed in conjunction with the remote control.
This allows the driver to display map data of any scale on the display. The change of the scale may be performed, for example, by storing a plurality of map data having different scales in the map information storage unit 7 in advance, and reading out the map information read unit 11 from the map data according to the instruction. Although it can be performed, since the capacity of the map information storage unit 7 is limited, in the present embodiment, map data at a required scale is acquired from the server 100 by communication (information is acquired from the server 100 by communication. Will be described later).

During traveling, a map around the current position of the vehicle is always displayed on the display as described above. At this time, a map that is not stored in the map information storage unit 7 becomes necessary, or the driver may receive traffic information, weather information,
Assume that the user wants to know map-related information such as store information. In such a case, the mobile terminal 300 makes a line connection with the server 100 (the server device of FIG. 3 provided therein) through one of the plurality of access points 102 and transmits necessary map data and map-related information from the server device. Acquire by communication. Here, if emphasized in advance, the first feature of the system in FIG. 1 is how to select the access point 102 when the mobile terminal 300 selects and accesses any of the plurality of access points 102. .

FIG. 4 shows a server 1 in the system of FIG.
10 is a flowchart showing a processing operation on the mobile terminal 300 side when information is downloaded from the 00 side to the mobile terminal 300. Hereinafter, details of the operation in which the mobile terminal 300 acquires information from the server 100 by communication,
This will be described with reference to FIG. The mobile terminal 300 has various functions related to a process of acquiring information by communication, such as a function of connecting to a line with the server 100, selecting information to be acquired, and disconnecting a line after acquiring information. Are set in advance, and the driver can activate each function by operating the input unit 1 and selecting a menu.

When information is to be obtained from the server 100 by communication, the driver operates the input unit 1 to input the information to the mobile terminal 300. Output unit 6 accordingly
A menu selection screen is displayed on the display (step S101), and the driver selects a menu while referring to the screen. Next, the arithmetic processing unit 5 determines whether or not a function of connecting to the server 100 is selected (step S102). Then, as a result of the determination, when the function to connect to the line is selected, the arithmetic processing unit 5 selects one of the plurality of access points 102 and performs a series of processing for connecting to the server 100 through the point (step S103). To S107). The server 1
If the function for line connection with the 00 side has not been selected, the process returns to step S101.

That is, in step S103, the current position of the mobile terminal 300 is calculated by the position calculator 3. In step S104, the arithmetic processing unit 5 reads a list of information on the plurality of access points 102 from the AP information storage unit 8 of the information storage unit 2. A
FIG. 5 shows an example of an information list regarding the access points stored in the P information storage unit 8. In FIG.
The information list includes the AP identification code, longitude / latitude coordinates, and telephone number of each access point 102. AP
The identification code is a code for identifying each access point 102. The longitude and latitude coordinates are for specifying the location of each access point 102 identified by the identification code, and are used to select the nearest access point 102 to the current position of the mobile terminal 300. The telephone number is the telephone number of each access point 102 identified by the identification code. By calling each telephone number, the mobile terminal 300 and the access point 1
02 is connected to the line.

In step S 105, the nearest access point 102 to the current position of the mobile terminal 300 is detected by the nearest AP detection unit 12 of the arithmetic processing unit 5. The detection of the nearest access point 102 is performed, for example, as follows. That is, step S10
3. Each of the access points is determined based on the longitude and latitude coordinates indicating the current position of the mobile terminal 300 acquired in Step 3 and the longitude and latitude coordinates indicating the location of each access point 102 described in the information list acquired in Step S104. 10
2 and the mobile terminal 300 are calculated.
Then, the respective calculation results are compared with each other, and the mobile terminal 300
Access point 1 with the shortest linear distance from
02 (the nearest access point 102) is detected.

In step S106, the telephone number setting unit 1
According to 3, a setting is made to call the telephone number of the nearest access point 102 detected in step S105. In this case, the telephone number corresponding to the nearest access point 102 detected in step S105 is read from the information list acquired in step S104. In step S107, the communication unit 4 makes a call to the telephone number set in step S106, and the mobile terminal 300 is connected to the server 100 via a line.

When the line between mobile terminal 300 and server 100 is established as described above, a menu selection screen is displayed again on the display of output unit 6 (step S108), and the driver changes the screen. Input unit 1 while referring to
Operate to select a menu. Step S10
The contents of the menu displayed at 8 may include downloading data or disconnecting the line, and when downloading, what data to download.

Next, the arithmetic processing unit 5 determines whether or not the driver has requested a line disconnection (step S1).
09). When the line disconnection is requested, the arithmetic processing unit 5
The line established between the mobile terminal 300 and the server 100 is disconnected (step S111), and at this point, the process of acquiring information from the server 100 by communication ends. On the other hand, if disconnection of the line has not been requested (that is, a request to download data has been made), the arithmetic processing unit 5 issues a command (hereinafter referred to as a download request) requesting to download the data specified by the driver. After transmitting to the server 100 via the communication unit 4 (step S110), the process returns to step S108 to display a menu selection screen. As described above, the download request is repeatedly transmitted to the server 100 until the driver obtains all the desired data, and the line is disconnected when all the desired data is obtained. This is the end of the process of acquiring information from the server 100 by communication.

The server 100 analyzes a download request from the mobile terminal 300 and transmits the corresponding data to the mobile terminal 300 (details of the processing on the server 100 will be described later). In the mobile terminal 300,
The map data, the shortest route, the traffic information, and the like downloaded from the server 100 based on the processing procedure as described above are displayed on the display, thereby guiding the driver from the departure point to the destination. In the meantime, weather information and store information around the route are displayed as appropriate as the vehicle moves, so that the driver can know the latest information around the route.

FIG. 6 shows the server 1 in the system of FIG.
9 is a flowchart showing a processing operation on the server 100 side when information is downloaded from the 00 side to the mobile terminal 300. In the following, in response to the download request transmitted by the mobile terminal 300 in step S110 of FIG.
00 (the server device of FIG. 3 provided in FIG. 3)
The operation of downloading data to 00 will be described.

Here, the uplink signal from the mobile terminal 300 side includes a connection / disconnection request for connection / disconnection of a line,
It is assumed that there is a download request for downloading the route information and its related information. The download request includes information necessary for performing a route search, that is, a departure point and a destination (a search condition may be added to the toll road to prioritize a toll road). Upon receiving this download request, the 100 side searches for the shortest route from the departure point to the destination, and collects the search result and information closely related thereto (traffic information, weather information, store information, etc. around the route) in a lump. Mobile terminal 3
Download to 00 side.

The map information storage unit 16 of the server device of FIG. 3 stores nationwide map data, traffic information, weather information, store information, etc., collected by the server 100 independently or through an external organization. . In the process of downloading such information to the mobile terminal 300, first, the arithmetic processing unit 18 receives the uplink signal transmitted from the mobile terminal 300 via the communication unit 17 (step S201). In the arithmetic processing unit 18, the transmission / reception information processing unit 21 analyzes the uplink signal (step S202).

The arithmetic processing section 18 determines whether or not the uplink signal received in step S201 is a connection request based on the analysis result in step S202 (step S20).
3). If the result of the determination is affirmative, a process for connecting the line to the mobile terminal 300 of the transmission source is performed (step S204), and the process returns to step S201.

If the decision result in the step S203 is negative, the arithmetic processing unit 18 further decides whether or not the uplink signal received in the step S201 is a connection request (step S205). If the determination result is affirmative, after performing processing for disconnecting the line with the mobile terminal 300 of the transmission source (step S206), step S20 is performed.
It returns to the process of 1.

If the decision result in the step S205 is negative, the arithmetic processing unit 18 further decides whether or not the uplink signal received in the step S201 is a download request (step S207). If the determination result is affirmative, a route search is performed, and a series of processes for downloading the search result and the related information to the mobile terminal 300 side are executed (steps S208 to S211), and thereafter, the process of step S201 Return to

That is, in step S208, a process of searching for the shortest route from the departure point to the destination notified in addition to the download request with reference to the map data stored in the map information storage unit 16 is performed. Will be The search is performed by the arithmetic processing unit 18 using an existing method such as the Dijkstra method. At the time of the search, a route avoiding traffic congestion may be obtained by reflecting traffic information stored in the map information storage unit 16. Specifically, the travel time for each link recorded along with the map data is dynamically changed based on traffic information (congestion information, regulation information, etc.), and the Dijkstra method is applied to each travel time obtained by the change. Is applied to obtain a route. The obtained route is represented by a node sequence having at least longitude and latitude coordinates.

In step S209, step S208
A process of extracting information closely related to the route obtained in the above from the map information storage unit 16 is performed. Specifically, the traffic information, weather information, store information, and the like stored in the map information storage unit 16 are added with longitude and latitude coordinates for associating with the map data. The arithmetic processing unit 18 calculates the linear distance between the longitude and latitude coordinates of each piece of information and the node sequence constituting the route obtained in step S208 and converts the distance into meters, and the obtained linear distance is equal to or less than the threshold L. The map information reading unit 20 is instructed to read only the information such as from the map information storage unit 16. The threshold value L is preferably, for example, about 500 m to 5000 m. As for the map data, only the detailed map data within a radius M centered on the departure point and the destination point searched for the route is read out. M in this case is, for example, 100 m
To about 500 m.

In step S210, step S208
Is performed to convert the shortest route obtained in step S2 and the route-related information extracted in step S209 into a format of transmission data. The conversion is performed by the arithmetic processing unit 18, and the transmission data obtained by the conversion includes the route data, the detailed map data, the traffic information data, the weather information data, the store information data, and the head of the packet as shown in FIG. STX, management information containing management data of the packet, ETX indicating the end of the packet, a checksum for performing data error correction, and the like are integrated into one packet.

In step S211, step S210
A process of transmitting the transmission data created in step (1) to the mobile terminal 300 is performed. The transmission data is transmitted to the communication unit 1 via a dedicated line.
7 to the access point 102 (step S10 in FIG. 4).
5), and further transmitted from the access point 102 to the mobile terminal 300 via the public line.

As described above, according to the first embodiment,
Each of the mobile terminals 300 communicates with the information providing center 10 through the nearest access point 102 among the plurality of access points 102, and thus, the one having the lowest call charge.
1 and the information providing center 101
When the route guidance information is provided to the mobile terminal 300 by communication, the communication cost can be kept low.

By the way, in the first embodiment, when a plurality of vehicles located close to each other make an access request at the same time, the line connection is not made promptly and the efficiency of the system may be reduced. The second embodiment discloses a communication-type route guidance system that can prevent such a decrease in the efficiency of the system in which access requests from a plurality of mobile terminals are concentrated on a specific access point 102 at the same time. .

(Second Embodiment) Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The communication type route guidance system described in the present embodiment has an information providing center that holds various databases such as map data, traffic information, weather information, and store information, and collects and updates the contents of these databases; At least one mobile terminal (hereinafter described as an on-board terminal used in a vehicle) that receives a service of providing information by communication from the center is provided. The system is further provided with an access point for each service area, and the information providing center and each access point are connected via a dedicated line. Hereinafter, the information providing center and the plurality of access points are collectively called a server. The communication-type route guidance system of the present embodiment searches map data, traffic information, weather information, store information, and the like requested by the mobile terminal on the server side, and moves the information from the server side via the communication line. The point of downloading to the terminal side is common to the system shown in the first embodiment,
The following points are different.

That is, in the first embodiment, each mobile terminal 300 is line-connected to the information providing center 101 through the nearest access point 102 (in other words,
It was assumed that any access point 102 could be accessed at any time). On the other hand, in the present embodiment, it is also assumed that a specific access point 102 is congested, and if the nearest point cannot be connected,
Select the next closest point and quickly connect to the line. That is, the first feature of the present embodiment is that each mobile terminal accesses the access point 102 closest to the current position in order from the access point 102, so that the line connection is quickly performed when the driver desires, and the efficiency of the system is reduced. The point is to improve. Hereinafter, the details will be described.

Since the configuration of the communication type route guidance system according to the second embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of the first embodiment, FIG. 1 is also used in the following description. The basic configuration of a server device provided on the server 100 side of the system of FIG. 1 (the communication type route guidance system according to the second embodiment of the present invention) is the same as that of the first embodiment. 3 is referred.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of a mobile terminal 300 in the system shown in FIG. 1 (communication type route guidance system according to the second embodiment of the present invention). The mobile terminal of FIG. 8 (hereinafter, referred to as mobile terminal 300a to distinguish it from mobile terminal 300 of FIG. 2) includes an arithmetic processing unit 5a instead of arithmetic processing unit 5 in the mobile terminal of FIG. I have. The arithmetic processing unit 5a further includes a communication state determination unit 14 in the arithmetic processing unit 5. The communication state determination unit 14 detects the communication state of the communication unit 4 and determines whether or not the mobile terminal 300a is line-connected to the server 100 based on the detection result. Other components perform the same operations as those described in the first embodiment.

The operation of the communication type route guidance system configured as described above will be described below. The processes described in the present embodiment can be realized by software using a computer, or can be realized by using a dedicated hardware circuit that performs the processes.
In the case of software implementation, the program is stored in a portable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a floppy disk and provided, or moved from the server 100 via a communication line (public network 200). It is supplied to the terminal 300a side.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the mobile terminal 300a when information is downloaded from the server 100 to the mobile terminal 300a in the system of FIG. 1 (the communication type route guidance system according to the second embodiment of the present invention). It is a flowchart which shows a processing operation. Since the processing operation on the server 100 side is the same as in the first embodiment, the flowchart of FIG. 6 is referred to.

The processing procedure shown in FIG. 9 further includes a step S301 in the processing procedure shown in FIG. In step S301, it is determined whether or not the mobile terminal 300a is connected to the server 100 via a line. In other steps, processing similar to that described in the first embodiment is performed. That is, in step S107,
Access point 102 detected in step S105
By making a call to the access point 10
2 is attempted, and if the line is free, the mobile terminal 300a is connected to the server through the access point 102. Therefore, in the next step S301, the communication state determination unit 14 inspects the communication unit 4 to determine whether or not the mobile terminal 300a and the server device are line-connected.

If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S109. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step S105. In that case, step S
At 105, the nearest access point 102 is detected from among the plurality of access points 102 excluding the access point 102 that has already called. The processing operation on the server 100 side is the same as in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, since each mobile terminal 300a tries access sequentially from the access point 102 closest to the current position, access requests from a plurality of mobile terminals 300a are specified at the same time. System efficiency can be prevented from occurring intensively at the access point 102.

In the first and second embodiments, the database such as map data, traffic information, weather information, and store information is collectively managed by the information providing center 101. Each database may have its own database, and each database may store local information around each access point 102. Then, each mobile terminal automatically selects the access point 102 having local information around the current position and connects to the line. As a result, the functions of the information providing center 101 are distributed, and as a result, the system is made more efficient.

In the first and second embodiments, the mobile terminal (300, 300a) has been described as an in-vehicle terminal. However, for example, a portable information terminal may be used. Any mobile terminal may be used as long as such a mobile terminal is used.

In the first and second embodiments, the mobile terminal (300, 300a) accesses each access point 102 via the mobile network 202.
Each access point 102 may be accessed without passing through the mobile network 202. In that case, the mobile terminal (300, 3
00a) is directly connected to the fixed network 201 at the destination.

In the first and second embodiments, when the access point 102 is selected, the mobile terminal (30
0, 300a) and the AP information storage unit 8
Is calculated and the shortest distance is selected between the coordinates of the installation position of the plurality of access points 102 and the shortest distance is selected. Instead, the access point 102 is selected as follows. May be. That is,
For each access point 102, a mobile terminal (300, 30
0a) is present in the area, the area where the access point 102 is the nearest point (hereinafter, referred to as an area).
Access area). Each mobile terminal (300,
In step 300a), it is determined which of the plurality of access areas is present in the access area, and access is made to the access point 102 provided in the access area in which the user is located. As a result, the calculation for calculating the linear distance becomes unnecessary, and the mobile terminal (300, 300
The processing load of a) is reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a communication-type route guidance system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of the mobile terminal 300 in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of a server device provided on the server 100 side in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing operation of the mobile terminal 300 when information is downloaded from the server 100 to the mobile terminal 300 in the system of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an information list on access points stored in the AP information storage unit 8 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing operation of the server 100 when information is downloaded from the server 100 to the mobile terminal 300 in the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of transmission data created in step S210 of FIG.

FIG. 8 shows a mobile terminal 300 of a communication type route guidance system (a system similar to FIG. 1) according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
It is a block diagram which shows the basic structure of a.

FIG. 9 illustrates a server 10 in a communication-type route guidance system (a system similar to FIG. 1) according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a processing operation on the mobile terminal 300a side when information is downloaded from the 0 side to the mobile terminal 300a.

[Description of sign]

 1, 15 ... input unit 2 ... information storage unit 3 ... position calculation unit 4, 17 ... communication unit 5, 5a, 18 ... arithmetic processing unit 6, 19 ... output unit 7, 16 ... map information storage unit 8 ... AP information storage Unit 9: Position detecting unit 10: Position calculating unit 11, 20 ... Map information reading unit 12 ... Nearest AP detecting unit 13 ... Phone number setting unit 14 ... Communication state determining unit 21 ... Transmission / reception information processing unit 100 ... Server 101 ... Information provision Center 102 Access point 103 Private line 200 Public line network 201 Fixed network 202 Mobile network 203 Switching center 204 Base station 205 Area 300, 300a Mobile terminal

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A communication-type route guidance system comprising a server device and at least one mobile terminal device arbitrarily moved, and performing route guidance by communicating between the server device and each mobile terminal device. A plurality of access points for the mobile terminal device to access the server device are installed at different positions, and each mobile terminal device is configured to communicate with the server device through any of the plurality of access points. Each of the mobile terminal devices includes: a position storage unit that stores installation positions of the plurality of access points; a position calculation unit that calculates a current position of the mobile terminal device; a storage content of the storage unit and the position. Based on the calculation result of the calculation means, among the plurality of access points,
A communication-type route comprising: an access point selecting unit that selects an access point in a closest positional relationship to the mobile terminal device; and a communication unit that communicates with the server device through the access point selected by the access point selecting unit. Guidance system. 2. The mobile terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the access point selecting means of each mobile terminal apparatus includes means for calculating a linear distance between the current position of the mobile terminal apparatus and the installation positions of the plurality of access points. The communication type route guidance system described in the above. 3. Each of the mobile terminal devices examines a communication state of the communication unit, and determines whether communication can be performed through the access point selected by the access point selection unit, and a determination unit. If the determination result is negative, the access point selecting means is caused to again select the access point having the closest positional relationship to the mobile terminal device among the plurality of access points except the currently selected one. 3. The communication-type route guidance system according to claim 2, further comprising means. 4. A communication type route guidance system comprising a server device and one or more mobile terminal devices which are arbitrarily moved, and performs route guidance by communicating between the server device and each mobile terminal device. A plurality of access points for the mobile terminal device to access the server device are installed at different positions, and each mobile terminal device is configured to communicate with the server device through any of the plurality of access points. Each of the mobile terminal devices is defined in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of access points, and when the mobile terminal device is located inside the area, the access point corresponding to the area is associated with the mobile station. Area storage means for storing a plurality of areas having a positional relationship closest to the terminal device, and calculating a current position of the mobile terminal device A position calculation unit that determines whether the calculation result of the position calculation unit is included in any of the plurality of areas stored in the area storage unit. Communication type route guidance, comprising: an access point selecting means for selecting an access point in a positional relationship closest to a mobile terminal device; and a communication means for communicating with the server device through the access point selected by the access point selecting means. system. 5. Each mobile terminal device of a communication type route guidance system which is provided with a server device and at least one mobile terminal device arbitrarily moved, and performs route guidance by communicating between the server device and each mobile terminal device. A plurality of access points for each of the mobile terminal devices to access the server device are installed at different positions, and each of the mobile terminal devices is any one of the plurality of access points. A first device that is configured to communicate with the server device through
And a second step of calculating a current position of each of the mobile terminal devices. Based on the position stored in the first step and the position calculated in the second step, And a third step of selecting an access point in the closest positional relationship to each of the mobile terminal devices, and a fourth step of communicating with the server device through the access point selected in the third step. The communication method. 6. Each mobile terminal device of a communication-type route guidance system which is provided with a server device and at least one mobile terminal device arbitrarily moved, and performs route guidance by communication between the server device and each mobile terminal device. A plurality of access points for each of the mobile terminal devices to access the server device are installed at different positions, and each of the mobile terminal devices is A first device configured to communicate with the server device through one of the access points, and storing installation positions of the plurality of access points;
And a second step of calculating a current position of each of the mobile terminal devices. Based on the position stored in the first step and the position calculated in the second step, the plurality of access points are And a third step of selecting an access point in the closest positional relationship to each of the mobile terminal devices, and a fourth step of communicating with the server device through the access point selected in the third step. Recording a program for implementing the operating environment on each of the mobile terminal devices. 7. Each mobile terminal device of a communication-type route guidance system in which a server device and one or more mobile terminal devices that are arbitrarily moved are provided and route guidance is performed by communication between the server device and each mobile terminal device. A program executed by a server device to each terminal device by communication, wherein a plurality of access points for each mobile terminal device to access the server device are installed at different positions from each other, The mobile terminal device is configured to communicate with the server device through any of the plurality of access points, and a first device that stores installation positions of the plurality of access points.
And a second step of calculating a current position of each of the mobile terminal devices. Based on the position stored in the first step and the position calculated in the second step, the plurality of access points are And a third step of selecting an access point in the closest positional relationship to each of the mobile terminal devices, and a fourth step of communicating with the server device through the access point selected in the third step. A program supply method for providing a program for realizing the operating environment on each of the mobile terminal devices from the server device to each of the terminal devices by communication.